Plans submitted to use Glasgow student halls as temporary housing

Willstone Venture Ltd wants to change the use of the site at St Luke’s Terrace in Hutchesontown, part of the Gorbals area, into temporary accommodation.

As the building is not fully operational year-round as a student residence, consideration has been given to alternative uses which could help the city council, which currently accommodates more than 2200 individuals in temporary accommodation across the city. 

A statement submitted to the planning department by Porter Planning Ltd on behalf of Willstone Venture Ltd claims that the city council currently relies on approximately 40 commercial hotels across Glasgow city centre to meet its statutory obligations. 

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They say that while commercial hotels have provided essential capacity, they are not designed to deliver longer-term temporary accommodation. 

The statement reads: "A significant proportion of these residents have complex support needs and are accommodated within dedicated properties that are exclusively used by GCC. 

"In recent years, increasing demand for temporary accommodation, including individuals with ‘Leave to Remain’ status, has significantly reduced the availability of dedicated accommodation. 

"They present operational challenges, limit opportunities for residents to live independently, and require support staff to work within environments that are not designed for the delivery of housing support services.

"Continued reliance on commercial hotels is neither the most efficient nor sustainable long-term solution."

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St Luke’s Hall of Residence provides 204 en-suite bedrooms within an existing HMO-certified building, private en-suite bedrooms, shared kitchen facilities, laundry rooms and a layout designed for residential living. 

The proposal is similar to approaches already being adopted elsewhere in Scotland, with Edinburgh being the most recent example where former student accommodation is being repurposed to address increasing demand for temporary accommodation. 

The statement continues: "Granting planning permission for the change of use at St Luke’s would provide GCC with a sustainable, operationally efficient and financially responsible solution to ongoing accommodation pressures. 

"It would enable the council to deliver a higher standard of temporary accommodation while reducing dependence on commercial hotels and making better use of existing residential infrastructure across the city."